Outlook: Santos takes over a major rebuilding project at his alma mater. He is the third coach in three years while the Tigers have not won more than two games in a seaason since 2006.

What’s more, they return only six letter winners and will be forced to get creative. Gray, for instance, will line up at times at running back, cornerback, and nose guard.

But if the Tigers are short on bodies, they are not on enthusiasm.

"We’re looking to establish a new identity," said Santos, a 1985 Holgate graduate and a former Tigers assistant. "These guys have never had the leadership these seniors have given. They’ve got a whole new attitude.

"They’re really, really dedicated. I think we're going to turn a corner here. We’ve been down for the last couple of decades. But I’ve got a feeling that [the players] believe in what I'm doing, and we've made tremendous gains."